


Emnity and Amity

by Sangerin



Category: Mona Lisa Smile (2003)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-12-18
Updated: 2005-12-18
Packaged: 2018-01-25 06:29:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1636493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sangerin/pseuds/Sangerin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the easiest thing in the world to wrap her arms around Betty and hold her tight while she cries.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Emnity and Amity

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Lia

 

 

Elisabeth Warren Jones is of fine New England stock. Her mother attended Wellesley, as did both her grandmothers. She was the first girl in her Wellesley class to marry, and her husband's background is as impeccable as her own. She prides herself on how well she keeps house, and shows the new washing machine and dryer off to guests.

Giselle Levy is the child of divorced parents, from Manhattan. She came to Wellesley because her father - who she never sees - offered to pay for college, so she paid him back for years of neglect by choosing an expensive, elitist school that would beg for alumni donations for years to come. She slept with the Italian professor the summer between junior and senior years, and when he dumped her for the new Art History professor, Giselle found herself a wealthy psychiatrist for a sugar daddy.

*

When the storm comes, it is quick and violent.

She lashes out at Giselle, who is changing after a night out with her latest sugar daddy. Giselle came in late: missed Connie's wonderful news the same way she missed the news of Betty's engagement more than a year ago. Giselle stands there in her underwear, flaunting the fact that she's sleeping with another man's wife, looking like a shameless pin-up girl. Proud of herself. She makes Betty sick.

Giselle sees her, knows that Betty is about to explode. She's too tight, holding herself too stiffly. Giselle knows what's behind it. She saw the girl with Spencer, suspects this isn't a new thing. She knows Spencer left the Spring Fling early, has heard Betty's complaints that Spencer is working late and weekends. She knows that Betty has been living back in the dorms during the week, because there's no point waiting at home for a husband who will never arrive.

She understands why Betty is shouting at her and pummelling her, which is why it's the easiest thing in the world to wrap her arms around Betty and hold her tight while she cries.

*

She holds Betty. Holds her until Betty goes limp in her arms, before leading her over to the bed and making her sit down. Connie goes running for a glass of water and Joan hovers, anxious. Betty won't look at Joan, and when Joan lays a hand on Betty's shoulder, she flinches away. Joan steps back, sits in the chair beside Connie's discarded cello. When Connie comes back with the water, Betty takes it from her and sips, staring straight ahead, not seeing anyone or speaking a word.

'Please, go,' Betty says softly.

Joan stands up, takes Connie's hand and leads her out of the room. Giselle stays where she is, sitting beside Betty on the bed.

'Go.'

'No,' Giselle says. 'Besides, this is my room we're in.' She tries to keep her voice gentle. Teasing.

'I'll go.' Betty struggles to stand up.

'Betty.' She doesn't know what else to say. 'Please. I want to help if I can.'

Betty sits down again and sips at the water. She leans against Giselle's shoulder, and Giselle puts an arm around her.

'Joan's so happy with Tommy,' Betty says between sips. 'I don't want to spoil that.' She begins to cry again, and Giselle tightens her hold.

'Oh, honey,' she says. 'Oh, honey.'

*

There are more tears, and then once Betty has the energy, she paces the room until she tires herself out. She tells Giselle the things she already knows - Spencer's absences, her mother's attitude, kaffeklatches with Mrs Jones that make Miss Abbey's quizzes look polite and refined. She's crying in Giselle's arms again when Joan comes in with Betty's night things.

Joan whispers to Giselle. 'I thought she might want to sleep. If you want to use my hotplate for coffee, you're welcome to. And if you need me, send someone for me.'

Joan looks sadly at Betty and silently mouths 'I'm so sorry' before she leaves.

Giselle smooths Betty's hair.

When the sobs are less, she leans over and kisses Betty lightly on the top of her head. 'Joan brought your things if you want to change.'

'I'm so tired,' is all Betty says. 'So tired.'

'I know, honey.' She helps Betty to sit up. 'You'll feel better if you sleep a little,' she says as she starts to undo Betty's blouse. She starts from the top, and soon, Betty begins to help, undoing the buttons from the bottom. When the blouse is off, Giselle lays out the nightgown while Betty continues undressing.

Giselle tucks Betty into Connie's bed. She kisses Betty on the forehead and tells her, 'I'll be right here. If you need me I'll be right here.'

*

Giselle doesn't sleep.

Betty does, but fitfully, and after a few hours she starts crying again, hard enough that she's shaking under the covers and Giselle worries that she won't be able to stop.

Giselle lies down on the bed next to Betty and wraps her up in her arms.

Once the shaking stops and Betty falls asleep again, Giselle relaxes.

She kisses the back of Betty's neck before she falls asleep.

*

Betty wakes up with the afternoon sun streaming through the windows. She's in Connie's bed with Giselle's arm around her; her face feels as though it's set in concrete and her throat as though it is lined with sandpaper.

She lies still in Connie's bed. She doesn't want to disturb Giselle before she wakes up - she owes her that much.

When Giselle wakes up and takes her arm away, Betty's waist feels empty.

Giselle makes coffee on Joan's hidden hotplate. They sit in Joan and Betty's room to drink it, and then Betty dresses while Giselle puts the coffee things away. Betty comes up behind her and wraps her arms around Giselle's waist and hugs her.

'Thank you,' Betty says.

Giselle turns to face Betty. 'Are you feeling better?'

Betty looks perfect again - every hair in place, her outfit a tailored, matching ensemble of soft colours and high-quality fabrics.

'Yes,' she says. 'I feel better. Thanks to you.' She leans forward and kisses Giselle. Her lips are sticky with lipstick and her breath tastes of coffee. Betty's lips are softer and sweeter than any lips that have kissed Giselle before. When Betty pulls away and walks out the door - perfect and untroubled - Giselle stands in the corner of the room and blinks.

*

Joan marries Tommy Donegal in secret. She tells Betty and Giselle and Connie together, in the parlour of her mother's house, sitting on an uncomfortable settee with one ankle carefully crossed over the other.

Betty grabs Giselle's hand and has to be persuaded to let go when the maid brings in the afternoon coffee. On the way back to Wellesley, Giselle keeps her arm around Betty's waist. Sitting in the room that Joan and Betty have shared for the last two years, Betty holds Giselle's hand again and won't let go.

Connie says goodnight reluctantly and goes back to her room. She looks over her shoulder at Giselle and Betty curled together before she leaves.

Betty rests her head on Giselle's shoulder. 'I don't want her to make my mistake.'

Giselle doesn't answer, just holds Betty tighter. Betty's breath ruffles the fabric of Giselle's blouse just above her breast.

'Stay with me tonight, Giselle,' says Betty. She sits up, kisses Giselle and then whispers, 'Together.'

They change almost in silence. Giselle brushes her hair with long, slow, deliberate strokes, watching Betty in the mirror. Betty puts her hair in a net as always, but tosses the curling rags aside. They slide under the covers of Betty's bed and Betty snuggles into Giselle and Giselle puts her arm over Betty's waist and drops a light kiss on her shoulder.

Giselle knows this is different to holding Betty all night while she's crying. Different to holding her friend together. Her breasts press into Betty's back, her knees tuck in behind Betty's, and Betty's rear end is up against Giselle's thighs. Their feet tangle together. Betty takes hold of Giselle's hand and presses it against her breast. Giselle breathes in deeply. She whispers Betty's name against her neck, questioning and begging at the same time. Betty turns in Giselle's arms, looks into Giselle's eyes and whispers back. 'Kiss me. Please.'

Giselle obliges. Kisses Betty the way she used to kiss Bill Dunbar, nipping lightly at Betty's lower lip, slowly letting her tongue drift into Betty's mouth. She lets one hand drift up to Betty's breast again and cupped it, trying to remember the way she liked to be touched. Carefully she brushes over Betty's nipple, and smiles when she hears Betty moan quietly. She pulls away from the kiss and says softly, 'You like that?' She kisses the tip of Betty's nose, and her eyelids, and then moves down Betty's body. 'I always loved it when he did this to me,' she says, and closes her mouth over the other breast. She tastes the silk of Betty's chemise and feels the nipple growing harder in her mouth. Betty tangles one hand in Giselle's hair, and brushes the other one over Giselle's back and neck. Betty finds the spot on Giselle's neck that can make her writhe just by touching it. She squirms under Betty's light brushing stroke, and her nails graze and squeeze Betty's breast. Betty just makes a guttural sound in her throat and keeps brushing the nape of Giselle's neck.

Giselle wants to taste Betty's skin. She pushes the chemise up over Betty's breasts. She kisses Betty's flat stomach, circling her naval. She kisses her way up Betty's ribs slowly. Betty's hand tightens in her hair. She reaches one breast and kisses it in circles. Around and around, smaller and smaller circles until she closes her mouth over the nipple and puts out her tongue to push the nipple back and forth. She does the same to the other breast, until Betty says, 'Giselle,' and she looks up to see tears on Betty's cheeks.

'Kiss me again,' says Betty. Giselle moves back up Betty's body, laying on top of her and kisses her deeply and long, and then she kisses away the tears. She slides off Betty and rests her head on Betty's shoulder and cups a breast again.

'I've never felt like that,' said Betty. She strokes Giselle's hair.

'You're so soft,' replies Giselle. 'So kissable.'

'Let me kiss you,' says Betty. She lays a hand on Giselle's stomach, making little circles. She slides her hand up underneath Giselle's short nightdress, brushing against her thighs, playing her fingers over Giselle's ribs. 'Tell me how you want me to kiss you.'

Betty hovers above Giselle, pushing the night dress higher and higher until it rests beneath her arm pits. Betty's silk chemise brushes against Giselle's bare skin and Betty lowers her mouth to Giselle's. There are no calluses, no war injuries, no rough unshaven chin. Just silk against skin, silken lips and a tentative tongue and hands that are lighter and gentler and tinier than any lover she's ever had. Hands and lips and a tongue that will do anything she asks, and eyes that shine as they look back at her through the darkness. Betty kisses her and she kisses back, and Betty's hands drift against her skin.

*

In the daylight they are friends and sometimes enemies. Occasionally Betty will take Giselle's hand during the day as they run to class. She'll brush the inside of Giselle's wrist when they're in class, and smile when Giselle represses a shudder. Sometimes Betty will say something that infuriates Giselle so much that they'll have a shouting match that can be heard across campus.

Sometimes Giselle will kiss Betty on the cheek, pretend to overbalance and kiss part of her lips. Sometimes Giselle will insult Betty, or send snide comments her way about the things she has written or the stand she has taken.

Joan attends all her classes, and Connie wants to talk to Giselle about Charlie and get Betty's advice on planning the wedding that will happen at the end of the summer. Giselle tells her sugar daddy it's over, but only Betty knows. Connie thinks it's still the reason she sneaks into their room in the early hours.

Betty tells Giselle that Spencer was never much good at anything more than kissing, and Giselle shares with Betty all the tricks she learnt from Bill Dunbar. Giselle loves to kiss every inch of Betty's skin. Betty loves Giselle's fingers. She kisses them and nibbles them, all the while looking into Giselle's eyes and watching Giselle come closer and closer to kissing her. Betty loves to brush Giselle's hair, and then to have her hair fall across her bare skin, sweeping gently against her. Giselle still loves the feel of Betty's silken underwear floating across her skin. She loves to sleep spooned up against Betty, feeling Betty's rear end against her thighs. Her hands drift all over Betty while they sleep, stomach and thighs and breasts, and when they wake their legs are always tangled together, thigh against thigh.

*

'What are you going to do after graduation?' Betty asks. It's early morning and there's a chair wedged against the doorknob to guard against intruders. They're locking Connie out, but Connie's life revolves around Charlie now, the way Joan's life revolves around Tommy.

'I don't want to go back to my family,' says Giselle.

'I have nowhere to go,' says Betty.

'Come with me,' says Giselle. 'Be a writer, be bohemian. Be with me.'

'My mother will hate that,' says Betty with a smile. She kisses Giselle the way she has kissed her hundreds of times before. The way she knows Giselle loves to be kissed.

'We'll drive each other mad,' says Giselle, between breath-stealing kisses.

'I'll love it,' says Betty. 'I'll love it.'

 

 

 


End file.
